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Indrejan
From the warm crystalline rills of the Bailis River in the north to the geometrically flawless Gardens of Minjje along the Straits of Adamantus, the history of Indrejan is rich. Influenced heavily by the cultures of Bijapur and Ziguran, the small country still retains a style all its own. Formerly part of the Bijapuran Empire and historically filled with revolutions, the lush country is most notably home to the proud anjou daun. Attempting to erase all reminders of their former serfdom, the anjou cleaned the battlefields and rebuild upon them, leaving few relics of their embarrassment to be found. As Ionae Sylekri, an Indrejan king's niece who married into the Kaezarian royal family, said, "There is no such thing as the failed past if thou art of Indrejan." Dominating the northern border of the country are the Fenwyllen Mountains, a reminder of Indrejan's sundering from Peregorne during the ancient Giantkind/Dragyn wars. Yet what makes these mountains truly special are the materials they are made of; pure t'elt and travertine. When the Bijapuran Empire took control of the country in the year 12080, the conquerors made the natives their slaves and mined liberally from the mountains, sending back the t'elt trinkets and jewelry that they forced the serfs to make to their native country. Tensions between the slaves and the ruling class grew as the disparities in wealth and property became more pronounced, until the natives, led by Yllèxandros Anjour, finally overthrew the Empire, pushing back its forces to the island of Sajoi. Yllèxandros was named emperor and accepted as ruler by an adoring and proud populace, who, in fact, took such delight in l'empereur that they renamed themselves the anjou in his honor. The new government established itself in a coastal city that became known as d'Anjour, a mystical place with a unique architecture that had never before been seen upon Thrael. Supported by intricately carved pillars and columns, all the buildings are crafted of marble and the city's "ground" consisted of slabs of travertine. South of d'Anjour, the island of Kysos i Pembrie was given over to a military presence and a fortress was established there, offering protection to the capitol city and the isles of Sajoi that flanked it. Three large beacons were built; one on the isle of Aspidiske, one in d'Anjour, and the other at the fortress of Uttabhadara, their purpose to quickly alert the populace of any invading forces. Despite their disdain for many other races, the anjou that dominate Indrejan are fond of all sylphs, especially brambles. When a contingent of the fey folk first journeyed away from their home in the Vashan archipelago and landed on the forested island of Abeille just after the fall of the Bijapuran government, they were looked at with distrust since the Vashans had just overthrown the Bijapuran Empire and were suspected of trying to extend their rule to their new serfs' former territories. The brambles performed many harmless magic tricks and sang to try and reassure the natives that they posed no threat, but the anjou, paranoid and proud, firmly believed these fragile butterfly-like creatures to be assassins from across the Taelean Ocean. Emperor Yllèxandros Anjour and his children ventured to the island to face his first major task as ruler, deciding what to do with the newcomers. Despite being unable to understand their speech, he chose to meet with them to try and fathom their intentions. The toddlers were very interested in the sylphs, babbling away to them while the brambles indulgently crafted small wonders of fire, ice and earth to delight them. Delighted by their ingenuity and gentleness, Emperor Yllèxandros gave the entirety of the island of Abeille over to the rule and whim of the brambles, and the island became a favored vacation place for Indrejani families of all races. Encompassing nearly the whole of the Indrejan-Peregorne border, the kingdom now known as Fountegne-Nouvrescent was a haven for the il'lthye migrating from Helasfume in southern Peregorne just before and after the fall of that city. Great numbers of il'lthye crossed the perilous Fenwyllen range to escape Thax and his Horde, dispersing throughout the area. Some Gharkins of the Valek Claigh followed, and many ended up forgoing their pact to hunt down the il'lthye to instead wander the lush hills and plains of central Indrejan. While the small number of Valeks lived quietly and nomadically herding game, the il'lthye, anjou and haertoe haefdin established hundreds of estates in the northern part of the country. Most of these estates took to calling themselves kingdoms, and as families interbred or feuded, the number of "kingdoms" increased drastically. There are ancient maps at various educational facilities, such as the Abbey at Kemstead, that depict "The Thousand and Ten Kingdoms of Indrejan, 2070." The ruling government in d'Anjour was mocked as incompetent as hundreds died in wars over land and fiefdoms, as they split into their own city-states. Unsure what to do, Emperor Vellignt Anjour organized La Conférence Bailis, a gathering of northern landholders intended to reach a resolution to all the conflict. Held in a small city being built near the mouth of the Bailis River, just north of the ruins of Aishmaki, La Conférence Bailis came to be known as one of the largest "faux pas" of the Anjour family, angering many with its resolution. The emperor, mentally feeble from the drugs his trusted son was slipping into his food, united all the kingdoms under the rule of the family that gave him the largest amount of coin to support the construction of an arena for blood-sports. Spurred by the unfairness of these happenings, the populace clamored for a change in government. The long-ruling Anjour family was nearly overthrown, until a compromise was reached and Indrejan became Thrael's first democracy. Led by an emperor and supported by a council of common people and senators, this governmental structure lent power and a voice to all living within the borders, insuring the Anjours no longer made political decisions alone and finally satisfying the people. With the advent of democracy, trade and commerce in Indrejan boomed. New ideas to aid economic or international relations were implemented. In the southern portion of the country, along the Straits of Adamantus, the cities of Mée-aux-Viève and Pendrien-De-Soliex, tolls were established on either end of the narrow waterway, although the nearby Zigurandi were allowed to travel freely between the two countries. The people grew richer as the country's wine and champagne vineyards received more and more demand for their product. Great numbers of monuments celebrating the wealth and power of the Indrejani people were built. Empress Noemie, wife of Emperor Delphinus II, ordered construction of the Gardens of Minjje, a geometrically designed two-acre expanse of exotic Bijapuran plants stretching west from Mée-aux-Viève. Just outside that city, the Emperor built her an expansive palace, whose most famous feature is a grotto surrounded by twenty-six hand-crafted waterfalls pouring through arches, a small angel standing guard alongside the base of each fall, earning it the name Les Anges. Senators were immortalized in the vast halls of the Dumailles museum in d'Anjour, their names inlaid in pure t'elt into the marble beneath the paintings of them. Coueraux-sous-hie, the city where La Conférence Bailis was held, ordered the construction of huge monoliths of stone that housed eternal fires and kept the city bright at all times. Despite the country's success, relationships between the anjou daun and valek gharkins remain strained. The daun tried to restrain the roaming race to Fountegne-Nouvrescent, threatening their lives if they enter any other kingdom. Some of the vineyards in Meilleusonier employed the gharkins, and their senators lobbied for the valek to be allowed in the kingdom. Anjou welcome the aid of the nocker gnomes who lived in the kingdom of Sault-Vencion for their mechanical inventions are oftentimes far beyond the grasp of the artistic daun, but quite necessary for transportation in such places as the capitol at Lisselione. Boggan gnomes, disliked immensely by the daun and called "trash dwellers" for their habit of living in the gutters, were rarely seen due to the nature of the threats against them, and when one did appear they were slayed or taken to gaol without warning. The few haefdin colonies in the country were widely ignored, though the small folk were welcomed by the Princess of Bijoux-en-Sôtier and have been since their first appearance in Indrejan towards the beginning of the Age of Dreams. At the present day, Indrejan remains a democratic country divided into kingdoms, ruled by an Anjour Emperor and his Senate. The races treat each other much the same today as they did in the past. Goods produced are mostly t'elt items, travertine marble from the quarries and fine champagne and wines, although the natural jewelry crafted by valek gharkins is often in high demand among the aristocrats of other nations. Horse farms in the kingdom of Lasrière produce fine show horses from the stock of Zigurandi racers. These pure white or gray creatures are often decorated with bright ribbons and paint, but rarely traded. Despite being centrally located between Laurdia, Peregorne and Ziguran, and having ties to the Vashan Empire through the Bijapuran occupation on the island of Sajoi, Indrejan remains a quiet, insulated country with little desire to interact with outsiders. Category:Regions Category:Lore Category:Indrejan